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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

MQTT vs Homey

MQTT logo

MQTT

IoT & Smart Home

Lightweight messaging protocol for IoT devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Homey logo

Homey

IoT & Smart Home

Connect all your smart home devices in one app

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MQTT has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MQTT mQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec; Homey homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
  • They diverge on capability: MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Homey covers Multi-protocol support.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MQTT and Homey actually diverge.

Attributes where MQTT and Homey differ
AttributeMQTTHomey
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAny platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computingIOS, Android, Web
Founded19992014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (IoT & Smart Home).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in MQTT

  • Publish-Subscribe
  • Lightweight
  • QoS Levels
  • Retained Messages
  • IoT platforms
  • Home automation
  • Cloud services
  • Edge devices

Only in Homey

  • Multi-protocol support
  • Advanced flows
  • Voice control
  • Energy insights
  • Timeline
  • Zones
  • Google Assistant
  • Amazon Alexa

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

MQTT

  • IoT messagingnot Homey
  • Sensor datanot Homey
  • Real-time updatesnot Homey
  • Device telemetrynot Homey

Homey

  • Bringing Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices from different brands into one appnot MQTT
  • Building home automations visually with Flownot MQTT
  • Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot MQTT

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

MQTT

  • MQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec

Homey

  • Homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
  • Unlimited devices require the Homey Premium subscription at $2.99 per month
  • Advanced Flow, Insights, and Logic and Variables are locked behind Homey Premium
  • The free month of Premium is only offered to new subscribers signing up through iOS or Android

Pricing, plan by plan

MQTT

Free
  • Open ProtocolFree
    • Publish-subscribe
    • Lightweight
    • QoS levels

Homey

On request
  • Homey Pro$399/month
    • Local processing
    • 1000+ apps
    • Advanced flows
  • Homey Bridge$69/month
    • Cloud processing
    • 500+ apps
    • Basic flows

Which should you pick?

Choose MQTT if

  • You need publish-subscribe.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
  • You also want lightweight.
MQTT review

Choose Homey if

  • You need multi-protocol support.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want advanced flows.
Homey review

Questions people ask

Is MQTT or Homey better?
Neither clearly leads. MQTT starts at Free and Homey at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MQTT or Homey?
MQTT has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MQTT and On request for Homey.
Does MQTT or Homey run on more platforms?
MQTT runs on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing. Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web.
Can I use MQTT for free?
Yes. MQTT has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Homey starts at On request.
What is MQTT best used for?
MQTT is most often used for iot messaging, sensor data, real-time updates, device telemetry. Of those, iot messaging and sensor data are not what Homey is typically brought in for.
What can MQTT do that Homey cannot?
MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Lightweight, QoS Levels, Retained Messages. Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights.
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